If a loved one has recently been arrested, chances are that you’re looking for a bail bondsman who can help you to get him or her out of jail. There are a number of reasons a person might want to be released on bail, including being able to go to work, pay bills, and run errands, among many others.
But what criteria is used to determine whether you make bail in the first place? In today’s blog, the team at A-1 Affordable Bail Bonds will take a look at that very question. If you’ve ever wondered how the bail process works, keep reading to learn more!
How Does a Judge Decide If a Person Can Make Bail?
As we’ve discussed on our blog in the past, it just doesn’t make sense to keep a person in jail until his or her court date rolls around. In the United States, a person has the right to a fair trial, but things can get backed up from time to time. If a court date is set for months from the date of the arrest, keeping that person in jail often becomes an impossibility.
With that logic in mind, a judge takes a look at each situation on an individual basis to determine whether or not a person is eligible for bail. What criteria will the judge look at?
Track Record
One of the first things a judge will do when determining whether or not a person is eligible for bail is looking at that person’s track record. In other words, if the person who’s been arrested has tried to skip bail before or has a history of not making it to court dates, the judge becomes much less likely to grant that person bail.
If, on the other hand, this is the first arrest of the person in question, the judge is much more likely to grant that person bail.
Type of Crime Committed
Of course the judge will also look at the type of crime committed during the arrest. It varies from judge to judge, but generally speaking, if a crime is particularly violent, bail will not be considered. If a person is arrested for possession of marijuana, however, the judge might allow that person to be bailed out.
Likelihood of Flight
We touched on this above, but if a person has skipped bail before, the judge will likely not grant him or her bail. There are a number of other factors that the judge will consider, and if he or she deems that the person who was arrested is likely to flee, that person will not be released.
What Other Factors Are Considered?
There are a number of other factors that a judge might look at, but of course which factors those might be depends largely on the circumstances surrounding the arrest, the history of the person who was arrested, and the facts that the judge has.
At the end of the day, people in the United States are innocent until proven guilty, but that doesn’t mean that a judge will automatically grant that person bail. The good news is that if your loved one has been granted bail, we’d be happy to help!
Put Your Trust in the Team at A-1 Affordable Bail Bonds
At A-1 Affordable Bail Bonds in Louisiana, we know exactly how stressful it can be when you have to bail a loved one out of jail. That’s why you can rest assured that when you call us, we’ll treat you like family, ensuring that you have all of the facts. Have a question? Need to purchase a bail bond? Contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you!
